The full Parliament of Navarra approved this Thursday a motion that urges the regional Government to ask the central Executive for the transfer of the competence over the management of initial work authorizations for foreign persons, both self-employed and employed, as long as the activity is carried out in the Foral Community.
The proposal has progressed with the support of UPN, Geroa Bai, and the non-attached parliamentarian, while PSN, EH Bildu, PPN, and Contigo-Zurekin have abstained and Vox has voted against.
The text demands "the granting of initial work authorizations for self-employment or employment of foreign persons whose labor relationship takes place in the Foral Community of Navarra; the granting of work authorizations for seasonal activity of foreign persons to be carried out in the Foral Community of Navarra; the collective management of hiring at origin, regarding labor-related procedures, in accordance with the applicable state regulations; the verification, through the issuance of the corresponding report, of compliance with the requirements of the work contract or contracts to obtain social-labor roots; and the verification, through the issuance of the corresponding report, of the validity of the training and education required to obtain social-educational roots."
Furthermore, the resolution includes a second section in which it asks the Navarrese Executive to "request the Government of Spain that the future transfer of competence in the field of Labor Inspection and Social Security includes the inspection function related to compliance with regulations regarding initial work authorizations for self-employment or employment of foreign persons whose labor relationship takes place in the Foral Community of Navarra."
In a third point, introduced at the proposal of EH Bildu and accepted by UPN, the Government of Navarra is encouraged to continue "working towards the achievement of the transfer of the set of policies in the field of migration and international protection."
An amendment from Geroa Bai has also been incorporated, through which the regional government is urged to, "within the framework of the negotiation with the Government of Spain for the transfer of these functions and services, ensure that the transfer includes the necessary human, economic, and material resources for their effective exercise, as well as the mechanisms for coordination and cooperation with the General Administration of the State that allow for an agile, guaranteeing, and effective management of work authorizations and their proper coordination with residence authorizations".
EH Bildu had registered two other addition amendments that UPN has not accepted. One demanded the transfer of the management competence of the Autonomy Phase for individuals who have been users of the international protection system. The other requested the transfer of the competence for managing initial work authorizations in Navarra for foreign individuals, whether self-employed or employed, incorporating regarding the original text the "modifications and the extension" of those permits, as well as the "authorizations for holders of long-term stays for studies, student mobility, volunteering services, or training activities".
The addition amendment from Contigo-Zurekin has also not prospered, which proposed the drafting of a "protocol with the different business associations to gather their commitment to recognizing the citizenship rights that correspond to migrant individuals, beyond labor rights". The text also proposed their involvement in the "fight against hate speech and dehumanization that, within a joint international strategy, seek to undermine democracy".
In the statement of reasons, UPN refers to the "complaints and demands" of entrepreneurs and business organizations regarding the shortage of labor and points out that the difficulty in filling certain positions constitutes a "challenge" for the economic development and competitiveness of Navarra. It specifies that part of those jobs "could be occupied by migrant individuals, who already represent 13% of those affiliated with Social Security, mostly in sectors such as agriculture, construction, hospitality, or caregiving".
In this scenario and after emphasizing the "slowness of the processing to obtain work permits and make hires," it is argued that Navarra taking on the responsibility for managing work permits would allow for "greater agility and better adaptation to the needs of the labor market," which is why it is demanded that the Foral Community directly manage the initial work authorizations, seasonal permits, the procedures for residency, and the inspection function in the labor field.